Can teens disembark the ship...

[Pam in CA]

If the kids are on a scheduled Princess excursion, it would depend on the child's age and maturity. But no matter where you're in port, you're in a foreign country or (generally) a large city. It's just not safe for them to be on their own. What if, God forbid, they aren't back on the ship on time?

 

There's no Princess regulation but I would hope that parents would be responsible for their kids. Heck, the media have featured a young woman who was raped on a ship (not Princess) several years ago. However, she followed him to his crew quarters. Where were the parents???? At Muster and in notices, it says very specifically not to go to the crew area. Now they're playing this up for the publicity about how bad cruise ships are.

[causeyoutdoor]

I for one believe that if you can not trust your teen to do as requested, LEAVE THEM HOME. Quality time with Grandma comes to mind. But my kids continue to travel with me, as I travelled with my parents well into my 20s.

 

In my 20s, I have been in the crew quarters with some great British crew members (I was on a Cunard ship) and they taught me to play darts. It was great fun and nothing naughty happened.

 

And, while in my 20s, we had a 4 hour port call in Panama City in the evening that the CD suggested we not get off the boat for. Well, 3 friends and I were insistant that we go see the town and as we were walking down the pier, our favorite bartender, also in his 20s asked if he could come along. We, of course, agreed and he escorted to whereever we wanted to go in Panama City. As he spoke spanish and we did not, it was very useful. Later, we found out that the CD had sent him along to make sure we were okay.

 

As for the teen center, my experience has been that for the 13-17 year olds, they come and go as they please. Like I said, if you can't trust your kids, leave them home.

[Pam in CA]

I don't think it's so much a matter of being able to trust your kids -- most of us can -- but the fact that they're in a foreign country which puts things in a different category. A teenager just doesn't have the maturity or experience to handle some things that might come their way that, no matter how responsible a parent is or how trusting of their child, anyone can anticipate.

 

I grew up in a completely different era and I shudder to think of the things my parents allowed me to do and the freedom I had. But it was a different time and place. As soon as I was able to ride a bike, I was allowed to go wherever I wanted and from the time I was about 6, often rode with my friends to the nearest town, a couple of miles away. I also, from the time I was about 10, was allowed to take a train into New York City by myself. (Doesn't that give you the willies?) And, when I was 19, my parents took me to Europe and left me there for a year on my own as a University student in France. (More willies.) But that was in the 50s and early 60s. Today, it's sadly a different world.

[ahracer]

 

As for the teen center, my experience has been that for the 13-17 year olds, they come and go as they please. Like I said, if you can't trust your kids, leave them home.

 

It has nothing to do about trusting my kids. It has do to with subjecting a young naive teen to a third world country environment.

 

Drug use is a plaque in most of the ports and I've heard of a setup where the local drug dealer and a cop prey on teens. The drug dealer strikes up a conversation with the girls and the cop arrives makes a drug bust using the drugs he brought as evidence and tells the kids they are under arrest and takes them away. At that point he than works a "deal" to let them go.

 

Not to mention the other countless situations a teen could find themselves in at no fault of their own.

 

This isn't a trip to DisneyWorld it is real life out there.

 

Scott

[causeyoutdoor]

I have a different world view. The world was not safer when we were coming up, we just didn't know any better. There were bad people back in the day, just like there are now.

 

Pam - As for a year in France as a university student, that does not give me the willies, I think it is an exciting time of your life and you must have been blessed to have parents who thought it was great for you to study abroad. I wish I would have taken advantage of that type of opportunity.

 

Are there drugs in the ports, absolutely. Are there drugs in our high schools, I am sure of that as well. By the way, there are drugs on the cruise ships as well. And corrupt police? They do exist? Of course they do. Both here in the United States and in other places.

 

There is nothing magical about turning 18 - you are not suddenly ready for the world because you had a birthday. And though this is not a trip to DisneyWorld, it is also not a trip to an evil place. Cruise ports as a whole are safe places. But things can and do happen there. Just like at home.

[mek]

I for one believe that if you can not trust your teen to do as requested, LEAVE THEM HOME. Quality time with Grandma comes to mind.

 

LOL - I my case, I am the Grandma! The 17 year old in question, is taking medication that makes him burn easily, so he might not want to go to the beach with the rest of us and it really isn't fair for the the other grandson not to go to the beach on a couple of days, so the older one might decide to stay on board by himself. While I personally think he is old enough to do that, I want to make sure he stays on board and doesn't go off the ship alone. As far as trust - I remember being 17 and doing things I shouldn't. Nothing really bad, but still I didn't always mind my parents.